Ramgarh guards the creator’s estate

in urban upbringing teaches one to see no trespassing signs where there are none. indeed, some even blame urbanites' alienation from nature on their inability to find a proper door to the creator's estate! (who wants to be pulled up that high for ambling through the woods, huh?) perhaps we, too, wouldn't rely so much on pales and padlocks were we blessed with the summary powers of the protector, though, it is debatable if without that other p, prosecution, we would show the same respect for these instruments.but prosecution thrives in the city, making us stop at the merest door, even if only a meshed bamboo frame...like the one that stood in our way at ramgarh fort. we pitched on ramshahar for an outing purely on instinct. even if it failed, the guide map of the area promised us satisfaction at nalagarh, just 20 km from ramshahar. while the latter is a popular heritage resort, the map lists ramshahar for its ''local fort (which) attracts a large number of visitors.'' in taking the turn for nalagarh, at pinjore, one leaves heavy traffic behind. also, since the route lies mainly over level terrain, one can sit back without worrying about too many turns. the diversion for nalagarh is reached within an hour but to get to ramshahar you must follow the road past it. it is not a wide road but rarely too narrow for the traffic. also, while it is a mite steep in places, it is largely a smooth stretch. so you are spared unnecessary gear-shifting on one count, at least. we weren't sure what ramgarh fort would be like. in fact, in proportion to its 'passing mention' on the map, we individually feared it would turn out to be a mud heap. but, about 10 km up the road, we saw the first sign of it; and an immensely satisfying one at that: one of its bastions rose boulder-like atop a hill. this picture made us speed on till the last stretch, a kutcha track strewn with stones that made the underbelly of the car cry out. after pushing on gingerly for a while, we thought it best to walk the last few hundred metres. there is no shahar in ramshahar: only a tiny village keeps the desolate ramgarh fort company. this village is serviced by jeeps and watching one of these drivers reverse and turn on the narrow track proved a revelation to us. we walked on, pleased with our discovery... till we hit the bamboo frame i have already told you about. we had come here with the notion that the place would be either forsaken or under the care of the archaeological survey. but it now seemed, some private interest lay in it. ought we to give up the effort, or could we sneak past the gate without harm? happily, a village party now came along to ease our doubts. the group were dressed in their sunday best; the children brought ludo with them, while their parents carried thaals. and they just swung aside our 'barrier' with what seemed a practised movement! we were in luck. this company comprised the village pradhan's family and the pujaran of the fort's kali temple. they had the key to the fort's main entrance, reached by a flight of 90 rocky steps and no, they didn't mind our joining them. ramshahar is said to have been set up as summer capital by raja ram chander of nalagarh. the fort was built here in 1540 ad, about 120 years after nalagarh fort, and stands over one and a half acres. while it cannot boast of the grandeur or the scale of the mughal forts, its stern, no-frills aspect does lend it a rugged charm. within, the fort has decayed considerably, however, much of it still stands for one to spend some time studying it. even if you do not have an appetite for history and mediaeval architecture, the large ground before the fort is perfect for sunning onself on a wintry day. though the hills around are not very high, yet, pines abound, and the quiet landscape is immensely soothing. if we hadn't liked the place, we would have driven on to arki (50 km) or back to nalagarh, but since we didn't want anything and had time enough on our hands, the three of us lay down and lent our ears to the breeze. you might want do to that this november!